Obituaries

Wilbur Hodge

Hayden, Idaho

Service for Wilbur B. “Bill” Hodge, 83, will be Tuesday at 11 a.m. at Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene with burial at Riverview Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.

Mr. Hodge, who was born in Alton, Ill., died Tuesday.

He grew up and received an education in Illinois, Indiana, Oklahoma and Idaho and moved to Coeur d’Alene at age 8.

He enlisted with the Idaho National Guard in 1940, served with the 148th Field Artillery and was activated in 1941.

Mr. Hodge was stationed in Darwin, Australia, when the Japanese attacked. He spent 36 months in the battle for New Guinea in the East Indies Campaign.

He then returned to the United States to guard prisoners of war in Arizona and received a military discharge in 1945.

He married his childhood sweetheart, Virginia “Ginger” Osbun, in 1945, and they lived in Coeur d’Alene.

Mr. Hodge worked in retail for Montgomery Ward Co. for six years and then began a 29-year career with Western Auto Co. and was the manager of the Coeur d’Alene store for 26 years before retiring.

After his retirement the couple assisted their son, Ron, at Hodge Funeral Home in St. Maries.

He was a 60-plus year member of the Coeur d’Alene Eagles Lodge and attended the Community United Methodist Church.

He was a member of the Over the Hill Gang at Coeur d’Alene Public Golf Course and enjoyed hunting, fishing, golf, playing bridge, reading westerns and traveling, with destinations including Morocco, Spain, Alaska, Hawaii and the New England states.

Survivors include his wife of more than 59 years, Ginger; two sons, Ron Hodge of St. Maries and Jim Hodge of Kalispell; five grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835.

Doris McGinn

Spokane

Funeral Mass for Doris McGinn, 90, will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at St. Charles Roman Catholic Church, 4515 N. Alberta St. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. McGinn, who was born in Portland, died Dec. 6. She had been a Spokane resident since 1918.

She attended Kinman Business University with a scholarship.

She was assistant vice president of Commerce Mortgage Co., agent of J.L. Cooper & Co. She also was director at large of Spokane Retail Credit Association, where she was one of the first female members in the area. Her position was one of the highest achieved by a woman in the mortgage field in this region.

She began working for ONB in 1972 and acquired a real estate license in 1977.

Mrs. McGinn was given the title certified consumer credit executive by the National Retail Credit Association. She was a member of Sigma Chi Epsilon, Society of Business and Executives.

She volunteered for Project Joy, Senior Cultural Services Association in Spokane, Service League of Sacred Heart Medical Center, counseling committee of the Spokane Retail Credit Association and advisory board for the Good Shepard Home. She was involved with the Immaculate Heart Retreat House and the Poor Clare Nuns.

Mrs. McGinn was a member of St. Charles Parish.

Her husband, John, died in 2001.

Survivors include a son, John McGinn of San Diego; a daughter, Julie Price of Spokane; two sisters, Lucille Olin and Betty Haywood; five grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Poor Clare Nuns or Horizon Hospice.

Arlen Looney

Twin Lakes, Idaho

Memorial service will be held Wednesday for Arlen B. Looney, 63, at His Place Church, Post Falls. English Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Looney, who was born in Seattle, died Saturday.

He grew up in Spokane, graduating from Central Valley High School in 1959. He earned at Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration. at Stanford University in 1963 and 1965. He recently was employed as controller and chief financial officer at Empire Lumber Co.

Mr. Looney was a member of His Place Church.

He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Margaret; a daughter, Michelle; a son, Clayton; a sister, Brenda Schmedding; a brother, Stephen Looney; and three grandchildren.

Memorials can be made to His Place Church.

Joseph ‘Frank’ Gordon

Colfax

No service will be held for Joseph Franklin “Frank” Gordon, 89, at his request. Bruning Funeral Home of Colfax is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Gordon, who was born near Pampa, Wash., died Wednesday.

He graduated from LaCrosse (Wash.) High School and attended the University of Colorado and Washington State College.

He served in the Army and in 1943 married Virginia Bricka.

Mr. Gordon farmed in LaCrosse and Benge, Wash., for many years. After he retired, he enjoyed traveling and photography.

In 1998 he and his wife moved to a retirement community in Pullman. His health declined, and he moved to Whitman County Rehabilitation in Colfax.

Survivors include his wife; three children, Elizabeth, Jonathan and William; a sister, Ethel Gordon Metzger; two grandchildren and a great-granddaughter.

Memorial contributions may be made to LaCrosse Dollars for Scholars, P.O. Box 258, LaCrosse, WA 99143.

Lori (Thomas) Mitchell

Coeur dAlene

Service for Lori Jo (Thomas) Mitchell, 43, was in November. Yates Funeral Home in Coeur d’Alene was in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Mitchell, who was born in Pasadena, Calif., died Oct. 27.

She lived in Roseville, Calif., for several years before moving to Coeur d’Alene in 1971 and graduated from high school there in 1979.

She moved to San Diego in 1981 and married Paul Mitchell.

The couple settled in Coeur d’Alene in 1987.

She was known for her sense of humor and upbeat personality.

Mrs. Mitchell was active in the Coeur d’Alene Women’s Softball League for several years.

Survivors include her husband; three children, Jessica, Natalie and Austin; her parents, Paul and Barbara Thomas of Hayden, Idaho; three brothers, Cary Thomas of Rathdrum, Idaho, Clark Thomas of Coeur d’Alene and Joel Thomas of Mead; a sister, Teresa Taylor of Post Falls; and her grandmother, Anna Tietz of Hayden.

Anna (Andor) Hellemons

Silverton, Idaho

Mass for Anna Elizabeth (Andor) Hellemons, 90, will be Monday at 1 p.m. at St. Rita’s Roman Catholic Church in Kellogg, with burial t at Greenwood Cemetery in Kellogg. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hellemons, who was born in Detroit, died Wednesday.

She married John Hellemons in 1936, and they moved to the Silver Valley in 1940 from North Dakota.

She worked as a nurses’ aide at West Shoshone Hospital in Kellogg and also was a seamstress.

Mrs. Hellemons was a member of St. Rita’s Catholic Church and a 50-year member of the Catholic Daughters.

She enjoyed fishing and gardening.

Her husband died in 1976.

Survivors include three daughters, Daphne Ghan of Anacortes, Wash., Virginia Patton of Virginia Beach, Va., and Patricia Reisinger of Sherwood, Ore.; a sister, Rose Lockhart of Camp Verde, Ariz.; nine grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Charles Chapman

Spokane

Memorial service for Charles B. Chapman, 62, will be after the holidays. Riplinger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Chapman, who died Sunday, was born in Hartford, Conn. He had been a resident of Spokane since 1980.

He owned Heritage Electric Co.

Mr. Chapman was golfer and runner, running in several marathons and many Bloomsdays. He loved to boat on Pend Oreille and take trips to Hawaii with his wife.

Survivors include his wife of 28 years, Terie; two sons, Alex Chapman of Newport Beach, Calif., and Brian Chapman of Spokane; and one grandson.

Agnes Harris

Spokane Valley

Memorial service for Agnes K. Harris, 105, will be at a later date. Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Harris, who was born in Sonoma, Calif., died Tuesday. She was a longtime resident of Spokane.

She was a homemaker.

Her husband of many years, Elmer, died in 1967.

Survivors include a son, Robert Harris of Lake Elsinore, Calif.; two daughters, Agnes Hughes and Alice Shattuck, both of Greenacres; and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Maureen Tripp

Spokane

Inurnment for Maureen Smith Tripp, 77, will be at Pines Cemetery with her parents. Hazen and Jaeger Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Tripp, who was born in Pomeroy, Wash., died Dec. 12.

After graduating from high school, she worked in various office jobs, including at a Los Angeles bank, and at rest homes in Washington and Oregon.

She married Wayne Tripp In 1961 in Salem, Ore. He died two years later. Mrs. Tripp lived in Salem until she retired to Spokane several years ago.

She loved flying, and during the time she spent in California she occasionally rode in a private plane with her brother-in-law as he performed acrobatics.

Survivors include a brother, Herbert Smith of Hesperia, Calif.; and five sisters, Frances Emerson of Everett, Vivian Smith of Bandon, Ore., Clarice Stancliffe of Ventura, Calif., Blanche Frizzell of Bremerton and Genevieve Scharn of Salem.

Carl Gillingham

Spokane

Funeral for R. Carl Gillingham, 89, will be Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Hazen and Jaeger Valley Funeral Home. Interment will be at Pines Cemetery.

Mr. Gillingham died Tuesday.

Born in Gillingham, Wis., he moved to Washington in 1927 and was the first of three generations to graduate from Central Valley High School.

He married his wife, Maxine, in 1940 and served in the Navy at Farragut Naval Station during the early 1940s.

Mr. Gillingham worked in residential construction. He enjoyed nature, geology and outdoor activities.

Survivors include his wife; a son, Larry Gillingham of Spokane Valley; two daughters, Janice Gillingham-Prewitt of Liberty Lake and Joyce Gillingham of Clear Lake; a brother, E. Marshall Gillingham of Spokane Valley; three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army or the Spokane County Animal Shelter.

Betty Yirak

Hartline, Wash.

Memorial service for Betty Lee Yirak, 78, will be Jan. 8 at 11 a.m. at Church of Christ, 315 Continental Heights, Grand Coulee. Neptune Society is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Yirak, who was born in Oklahoma City, died Saturday. She had been a resident of the Almira-Hartline area since 1968.

She attended one year of college and retired as postmaster of the Almira Post Office. She also worked at the Almira School.

Mrs. Yirak was a member of the Church of Christ. She enjoyed cooking and sewing.

Survivors include her husband, Charles; two daughters, Elizabeth Young of Fruit Heights, Utah, and Joan Zimbelman of Almira; four sons, David Yirak of Canyon, Texas, Alan Yirak of Harrington, Wash., Jim Yirak of Okinawa, Japan, and Paul Yirak of Spokane; 11 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Lena (Albertini) Hough

Silverton, Idaho

Private graveside service for Lena Louise (Albertini) Hough, 95, will be held at Day Cemetery in Osburn, Idaho. Shoshone Funeral Service in Kellogg is in charge of arrangements.

Mrs. Hough, who was born in Curranville, Kan., died Tuesday.

She moved to the Silver Valley in 1941 and married George Hough in 1942.

Mrs. Hough was a homemaker and also worked for the Citizens Utilities Co. of Wallace.

She was a member of the Wallace Eagles Auxiliary, Lady Elks and St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church in Wallace.

She enjoyed bowling and was the organizer of area bowling tournaments for 35 years and was an officer of the Wallace Ladies Bowling Association for 41 years.

Her husband preceded her in death.

Robert Bird

Hayden, Idaho

Memorial service for Robert R. Bird, 73, will be Monday at 11 a.m. at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene.

Mr. Bird, who was born in Salinas, Calif., died Wednesday.

He married Rachel Wilborn in 1951. She died in 2000.

Mr. Bird lived in Salinas and worked as a line mechanic for Schilling-McCormick and Co. and moved to North Idaho in 1980.

He was a member of the North Idaho Classics Car Club and the Super One Coffee Club.

Survivors include a son, Robin Bird of Post Falls; a brother, Loren Anderson of Turlock, Calif.; and two grandchildren.

Memorials may be made to Hospice of North Idaho, 9493 N. Government Way, Hayden, ID 83835.